Hezbollah rebuilds military capabilities in Beirut, prepares for renewed fighting against Israel

In Israel, concerns are growing over a potential multi-front escalation, with the IDF preparing for renewed fighting with Hezbollah if the group attacks the Israeli home front amid a broader confrontation with Iran.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

Hezbollah is rebuilding its military capabilities in the heart of Beirut, relocating assets from southern Lebanon and restoring infrastructure damaged by Israeli strikes as the Iran-backed terrorist group prepares for a possible new round of fighting.

A security official told the Israeli news outlet Walla that the Lebanese army uncovered a tunnel linked to Hezbollah in the Ruwaisat al-Jedida area of eastern Beirut, exposing the terrorist group’s expanding military presence in the capital, where officials believe it has relocated military capabilities from southern Lebanon and restored assets damaged or destroyed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strikes.

Lebanese security officials have warned that Hezbollah, a Shiite Islamist organization, is working to rebuild and strengthen its military capabilities not only in southern Lebanon but also in Beirut and Tyre, areas with some of the country’s largest Shiite populations.

Previous intelligence reports have indicated that the Iranian proxy retains a diverse arsenal capable of sustaining several months of fighting, including rockets, missiles of varying ranges, drones, tactical unmanned aircraft, and suicide drones.

As the prospect of renewed fighting seems more likely along the country’s southern border, Hezbollah has intensified training for anti-tank and surveillance teams, preparing its forces for potential escalation and another confrontation with Israel.

According to a new report by the Alma Research and Education Center, which focuses on Israel’s security challenges along its northern border, Hezbollah has also expanded efforts to restore its civilian infrastructure, including the Dar al-Hawraa Health Center in Beirut’s southern suburbs — run by the group’s Islamic Health Organization — which has resumed operations following repairs to damage sustained during the war last year.

“Rebuilding a clinic within its civilian network … restores its capacity to exert influence and maintain its social foothold,” the report says.

“This demonstrates Hezbollah’s ability to operate within state institutions and exploit them for its own benefit while simultaneously operating through a parallel system.”

Experts warn that weakening Hezbollah’s social grip depends on the Lebanese government’s ability to expand public services, strengthen transparency and oversight, and provide reliable alternatives to the group’s assistance, preventing vulnerable communities from remaining dependent on Hezbollah and allowing it to preserve its influence despite mounting pressure.

In Israel, concerns are growing over a potential multi-front escalation, with the IDF preparing for renewed fighting with Hezbollah if the group attacks the Israeli home front amid a broader confrontation with Iran.

Hezbollah joined the previous war in support of Tehran days after the joint US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamist regime began.

For months now, Hezbollah has been rebuilding its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon with Iranian support despite the US, Israeli, and Lebanese governments all demanding the terrorist group disarm to move forward with a broader ceasefire and potential peace deal.

According to a separate report by the Alma Research and Education Center, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for recruitment and ideological indoctrination recently arrived in Lebanon, seeking not only to strengthen Hezbollah’s morale and ideological commitment but also to help rebuild its military capabilities.

Earlier this year, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-backed ceasefire framework to disarm Hezbollah, gradually withdraw Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and deploy the Lebanese Armed Forces in their place, starting in designated pilot areas as part of broader efforts to restore state authority and stabilize the border.

However, implementation has largely stalled, with Israel maintaining troops in a security zone extending roughly 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon to protect its northern communities, prevent further terrorist attacks, and dismantle Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure in the area.

The Lebanese government has formally declared Hezbollah’s military operations illegal and indicated a willingness to make peace with the Jewish state.

However, Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that the Lebanese government has failed to fulfill its commitments under the framework to disarm Hezbollah, raising the possibility of a renewed large-scale military campaign against the terrorist group that could extend into additional areas.

Multiple media reports have suggested that Israel could even impose an air, land, and sea blockade on Lebanon as tensions mount over Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm and the group’s potential involvement in an escalating regional conflict.

Several rounds of negotiations have yet to yield tangible progress, with discussions reportedly including the possible deployment of military personnel from Italy, Switzerland, and Jordan to help oversee the removal of Hezbollah’s weapons

The Iranian proxy has accused Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam of betraying the “resistance” and collaborating with Israel amid ongoing direct bilateral negotiations, branding them “traitors” aligned with foreign interests.

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